Legislation could extend paid leave benefits to tribal employees [The Day, New London, Conn.]

Apr. 23--A bill passed last week by the state Senate could enable some 10,000 people employed by the casino-owning Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes to participate in the state's 2-year-old paid family and medical leave insurance program.

The employee-funded program provides up to 12 weeks of partial wages to employees on unpaid leave due to serious illness, the birth of a child or family violence victimization.

Employees covered by the program began contributing to it through payroll deductions as of Jan. 1, 2021.

Forwarded to the House of Representatives for its consideration, Senate Bill 222 was approved Thursday in a 25-11 vote of the Senate. Republican Sen. Heather Somers of Groton joined the 24 Democratic senators in voting for the bill.

In March, the Democratic members of the Labor and Public Employees Committee had advanced the bill, 8-4, in a strict party-line vote.

The bill makes several changes to the paid family and medical leave law. It requires employers to register and submit reports to the state authority that administers the program, broadens the authority's power to police fraud and overpayment of benefits, and allows victims of sexual assault to receive benefits concurrently with benefits from the state's Victim Compensation Program.

The provision pertaining to the tribes allows the governor, in consultation with the authority, to enter into a memorandum of understanding with each of the state's federally recognized tribes to allow employees of the tribes and their businesses to participate in the paid family and medical leave insurance program.

Democratic Sen. Cathy Osten of Sprague, whose district includes the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan reservations, which are home, respectively, to Foxwoods Resort Casino and Mohegan Sun, called it "a very important change."

"Now, more than 10,000 new workers can have access for the first time to paid family and medical leave (benefits) who otherwise wouldn't," she said. "It's a substantial benefit, as more than 100,000 Connecticut residents have already found out about one out of every 15 people working in this state."

Tribal representatives expressed support for the bill, which was the subject of a public hearing in February.

Citing a section specifying the governor and a tribe "may choose to enter into a memorandum of understanding," Chuck Bunnell, the Mohegans' chief of staff, said his tribe appreciated the language of the legislation and fully supported it.

Bunnell said if the tribe reached an agreement to include employees of both Mohegan Sun and Mohegan tribal government in the program, it could involve around 6,000 people.

The Mashantucket Pequots' general counsel, Jody Cummings, also testified in support of the bill, noting the tribe "appreciates the Committee's recognition of the federally recognized Tribes ... while also respecting their sovereignty."

Beth Hamilton, executive director of the Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence, supported the bill's inclusion of victims of sexual assault. She said it would enable such victims to focus on seeking support and care instead of having to continue working.

House Republican Leader Vincent Candeloria of North Branford voiced "partial opposition" to the bill because of the burden he said it places on workers. His caucus recommended the bill be amended to reduce the payroll deduction that funds the program from 0.5% to 0.4% of an employee's wages.

The Connecticut Paid Leave Authority announced in February that it had paid more than $638 million in benefits to more than 100,000 Connecticut workers since January 2022. Half of the claims paid involved an individual's personal health condition while 35% involved pregnancy/childbirth/parental bonding, and 12% were for people caring for a seriously ill family member.

The remaining 3% of claims have been for family violence leave, military caregiver leave, and military exigency leave.

b.hallenbeck@theday.com

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